Bar skirmish in Ellwood City leads to homicide

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A Beaver County man was in jail Sunday, charged with first-degree murder in connection with a fatal shooting early Saturday in Lawrence County.

Lt. David Kingston said Ian Christopher Frey, 25, of Franklin, is accused of killing Keith Knox II, 38, of Wampum, at 2 a.m. Saturday after they had been kicked out of Weisz's Hazel Manor on North Street in Ellwood City.

Mr. Knox was pronounced dead at the scene. A police affidavit indicated he had been shot at close range three times in the chest.

Lt. Kingston said the incident began with a skirmish inside the bar. The officer said the men were told to leave. The suspect went to his car, which was parked across the street; the victim went to his own car with a friend in the parking lot adjacent to the bar.

"The victim could see the suspect and the victim wanted to confront the suspect. His buddy told him to let it go but the victim approached the suspect. He goes up to the car and opens the suspect's car door and reportedly he started beating the suspect in the head. That's when the suspect said he shot him," Lt. Kingston reported, noting that the shots were fired from inside Mr. Frey's car.

The affidavit indicated that Mr. Frey "said he had no choice and just wanted to get Knox off of him so he pulled his gun from his waistband ... (and) fired."

Mr. Frey was arraigned before District Judge Melissa Amodie in New Castle and remanded without bond to Lawrence County Jail. A preliminary hearing is set for Nov. 27.